Published at : 03 Nov 2022
Volume : IJtech
Vol 13, No 6 (2022)
DOI : https://doi.org/10.14716/ijtech.v13i6.5878
Fauzan Mustaffa | Faculty of Creative Multimedia, Multimedia University, 63100 Cyberjaya, Selangor, Malaysia |
Mohamad Izani Zainal Abidin | Faculty of Applied Media, Higher College of Technology, Po box 25026 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates |
Muhammed Fauzi Othman | Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Skudai, Johor, Malaysia |
Portuguese historical sources mentioned the
existence of a 30-wheeler ceremonial vehicle that belonged to the Sultan of
Melaka embedded in the 1511 war narrative. This report documented several measurements on the vehicle
but was rarely analyzed academically. This project's fundamental goal was to
reconstruct the arguably historical and extinct vehicle. It employed narrative
analysis in dealing with textual clues involving components and measurements of
the vehicle. Moreover, each component was carefully scrutinized as an
integrated whole. Visual anthropological research was applied to cross-compare
related historical visuals involving a Dutch Melaka sketch of a similar concept
vehicle. It also investigates the route to where the vehicle was driven which
has direct and indirect implications on its design. Subsequently, design thinking was applied to
pursue the design process to achieve the research’s reconstruction objective.
The analysis and design process of the reconstruction consider the context in
which the vehicle was used. According to the findings of this study, this Malay
Sultanate ancient vehicle has a unique form and has complex mechanical design
and maneuvering capability. Nevertheless, it is not comparable to the Malay
royal vehicles that existed during the Dutch Melaka period. The study has
limitations since it relies on English translation in dealing with ancient
Portuguese texts. The long-term goal of this reconstruction study is to promote
historical Melaka identity tourism, which is in line with SDGs 8.9 and 11.4.
30-wheeler ceremonial vehicles; 15th century Melaka sultanate; Melaka sultanate land vehicle; Melaka sultanate technology; Melaka sultanate
The fifteen-century kingdom of Melaka Sultanate harbor city
is often regarded as the height of Malay Muslim civilization with its glorious
achievements in administration, economic and physical construct (Mokhtar & Kosman, 2019). By nature, the
native of Melaka Sultanate was well known to be a maritime society that
centered its life on the water and demonstrated collective expertise in boat
making and shipbuilding (Abdullah, 2015).
Many scholars have extensively studied Melaka Sultanate’s marine structures and
water vehicle technology.
A wheeled land vehicle as part of the Melaka Sultanate
royal customary inventory is a remarkable feat but is rarely discussed. A week
before the 1511 war broke up, the wheeled vehicle was reported to have been
used in a parade to celebrate the royal wedding couple of the king of Pahang
and the princess of Melaka in a procession through the city (Birch, 2010).
A Portuguese general, Alfonso de Albuquerque’s reported his eyewitness
account could offer us an authentic description of the land vehicle technology
of the Melaka Sultanate. Seemingly impressed, Alfonso, in his report, decided
to give a well-written description of what he saw in a manner that glorifies
it. In a paragraph writing, Alfonso described the ceremonial vehicle as
follows:
“Here was burnt a wooden house, of very large size and very
well built with joiners’ work, about thirty palms breadth solid timber all
inlaid with gold, built up on thirty wheels, every one of which was as large as
hogshead, and it had s spire, which was the finishing-point of the building of
great height, covered with silken flags and the whole of it hung with very rich
silken stuffs, for it had been prepared for the reception of the king of Pao
(Pahang) and his bride, the daughter of the king of Malacca, who were to make
their entry through the city with great blowing trumpets and festivities” (Birch,
2010).
This detailed account by Alfonso clearly describes the
components, dimensions, and nature of Melaka Sultanate's heritage's great
vehicle. This allows a reconstruction study and a glimpse into the lost 15th-century
ancient native Malay technology and civilization. This is aligned with a
scholarly study that heritage constructs must be given priority in developing
nation-building to ensure the survival of cultural heritage for future
generations (Kayan et al., 2018). In
addition, such reconstruction can facilitate activities that can enhance
identity tourism experiences; as responses to expectations from tourists (Widaningrum et al., 2020). The reconstruction of
the 30-wheeler ceremonial vehicles could contribute to different dynamics of
digital heritage (relative to static heritage buildings) because it is a moving
object full of royal customs. The emergence of innovative solutions in
developing virtual tours to put cultures alive can improve virtual tours'
design to optimize the tourism experience (Drianda
et al., 2021).
It is interesting to see how ancient architectural
discourse correlates with the underlying idea of humanity's attempt at the
structural construct. A renowned ancient Roman architect and engineer
identified a well-designed architectural construct must exhibit three
qualities; ‘firmitatis,’ ‘utilitatis’ and ‘venustatis’ that are stability,
utility, and beauty, also known as Vitruvian virtues or the Vitruvian Triad (Vitruvius, 2009). According to him, the human
construct is a reflection of imitation of nature, the same it is with birds and
bees building their nests (Vitruvius, 2009).
Similarly, the earliest Malay builders understood how to make a comfortable
dwelling that fulfills its purpose as a location in response to nature (Bahauddin & Abdullah, 2008). Some of the
traditional Malay architecture directly took inspiration from natural metaphorical
forms like ‘bumbung gajah menyusu’ or ‘the suckling elephant roof’ and ‘kayu
belalang bersagi’ ‘grasshopper form or octagonal timber logs’; this is not to
mention natural wood carving motif which connects directly to the quality of
‘venustatis’ (beauty).
Vitruvius’s principles on machines were seemingly
influenced by commerce activities, such as the engineering idea of the
articulation of mechanical elements like hoists, cranes, and pulleys, as well
as war machines such as ballistae, catapults, and siege engines (Vitruvius, 2009) which brings back to the
qualities of ‘firmitatis’ (stability), utilitatis (utility). One may deeply
ponder when reading Alfonso’s description of the 1511 war narrative that “…the
king of Malaca came up mounted upon an elephant…with wooden castles containing
many war-like engine…” (Birch, 2010). In the
15th century, Leonardo da Vinci seemed to revitalize the discourse of Vitruvius
in his glorification of the Vitruvian Man inscribed in the circle and the
square, which reflect the fundamental human-architectural proportion. Little is
known if traces of a shared European Renaissance period discourse responded to
by the Malay world reflected on such an unprecedented innovation of a
30-wheeler ceremonial vehicle.
This architectural artistry seems to relate well with the
argument that the material world constantly converses with humanity through its
resistance, ambiguity, and tendency to change in response to external
circumstances (Sennett, 2008). The
enlightened can engage in this conversation and develop an "intelligent
hand." Instead of following the "common foundation of talents,"
people frequently exaggerate "small disparities in degree into vast
distinctions in kind" to legitimize their elite institutions (Sennett, 2008).
This study used a qualitative approach and engaged in investigative research, techniques, and methods to unearth hidden or obscure information that helps develop a more comprehensive picture of a historical object under investigation (Layder, 2018). In other words, the historical record is the basis for this study's understanding (Layder, 2018). This encouraged the researcher to look at and undertake data collection on accounts primarily from Portuguese, supported by Malay, Dutch, and the Middle East documents. Thus, this research was molded by the nature and character of document analysis, where documents were given voice and interpreted, and meaning was put into perspective to build an understanding around and on the targeted historical object. Figure 1 depicts the relationship between overall data collection and data analysis techniques for the project.
Figure 1 Overall Data
Collection and Data Analysis Strategy for the Study
The narrative analysis framework (Czarniawska, 2004) was used in this research to
investigate, choose, examine, and analyze descriptive clues that could shed
light on the subject at hand. The study began with identifying the vehicle,
followed by a part-by-part focus analysis of Alfonso’s paragraph-long
description. This study pays attention to and relies on the credibility of
sources and information pertinent to the vehicle's form, components, and
measures. Wherever necessary, this research puts each description into context
by employing other related supporting documents, be it textual or visual, to
comprehensively reveal an idea of the vehicle.
In the study, a visual anthropological
analysis framework (Collier, 2004) was also
used to cross-compare and precede related archived visuals involving a Dutch
Melaka period sketch on a seemingly similar royal vehicle. This section also
brings into the discussion selected ancient Melaka municipal plans to explore
the possible route the vehicle traveled that best fit the description. The
character of the route was investigated as it provides more clues impacting the
design of the ceremonial vehicle.
Finally, the design-thinking framework (Ambrose & Harris, 2010) was utilized to study
design processes to achieve the research’s reconstruction objective. The
analysis and design process of reconstruction also pays attention to the
context of how the vehicle was put to work. This study built the case of the
reconstruction part by part and discussed as an integrated whole until an
interpretative 3-dimensional impression of the ceremonial vehicle is built.
This includes the basic mechanical look of the vehicle.
Findings from Narrative Analysis
Even though ‘The Commentaries of the
great Afonso de' Albuquerque was written by his son, Brás de Albuquerque, the
book was produced based on his father’s diary and copies of letters to the king
of Portugal (Earle & Villiers, 1990).
The strength of Alfonso’s sources lies in the fact that he was literally
present in Melaka, witnessing firsthand the Melaka Sultanate’s state of affairs
while still in operation. Alfonso arrived at Melaka harbor on the 1st of July
1511 (Loureiro, 2008), and the Melaka
Sultanate- Portuguese war broke up on the 25th of July 1511 (Earle & Villiers, 1990). Within this period,
there were peace negotiations between the two parties (Correia, 2012), while
Alfonso himself was exposed and witnessed Melaka’s daily life for about 24
days. Alfonso himself may not have stepped his foot on Melaka soil, but at that
time, Melaka’s shoreline was close to the city's main streets. Alfonso
witnessed the 30-wheeler ceremonial vehicles utilized
in a royal parade. Based on the 1511 war narrative, this ceremonial vehicle was
burned in the royal compound (Birch, 2010).
However, before the war, the ceremonial vehicle participated in a royal parade
in the city (of Upeh) during a royal wedding reception. According to this
description, the vehicle would have to cross the city’s main bridge and travel
along the primary streets of Upeh (the main vicinity a cross Melaka river)
before returning to the royal compound.
Alfonso described that the ceremonial
vehicle was mainly made of wood. Hence, in addition to its basic construction,
this design would include wooden accessories and embellishments. It's
noteworthy how Alfonso refers to the vehicle as a ‘house’ and describes it as
being a ‘very large size’ at about “thirty palms in breadth or seven and a half
feet in width.” We view this as the ‘X’ factor, which has a discerning
influence that makes the vehicle looks ‘very large’ despite its basic size; so
to speak, a space comparable to the size of a small ‘room’ but with the look of
a ‘house.’ However, the length of this vehicle was not disclosed.
According to the text, the vehicle's
architectural artistry was marvelously superb. Because it was made of solid
wood, the structure was relatively weighty. To be pulled in a parade through
the city, a vehicle of this weight will almost certainly demand considerable
energy. More clues related to the route taken based on the description provides
important context benefiting this study and will be discussed in the visual
anthropological section of this paper. By the look, it appears that this
ceremonial vehicle appeared beautifully ornamented with wood carving
designs “…inlaid with gold”.
Another impressive aspect of this
ceremonial vehicle is that it was built upon thirty wheels; Alfonso uses
‘hogshead’ as a reference to describe the size of each wheel; a size which the
15th-century English term 'hoggers hede’ referred to as a unit of
measurement equivalent to 63 gallons barrel (Difford,
n.d.); in a context which generic western’s standard size of hogshead is
thirty inches in diameter (Hogshead, n.d.).
Based on the description, the vehicle
has complete roofing as a tall tapering spire. However, this study considers
that the vehicle's floor dimension significantly influences its overall form, a
sub-case that will be examined during the design process. Based on Alfonso’s
expression, the spire of the vehicle was significantly tall, although no
estimated measure was given on its height. On the other hand, this vehicle must
cross the Sultanate gate (in Malay called ‘gerbang’), which typically has a top
enclosure. As such, a practical measure of the height of the spire will be
discussed.
This vehicle was described as being
‘covered’ with silken fabric. It was also mentioned that the silken fabric was
particularly flagged. This study suggests that they would be no other than the
Melaka flags themselves. Based on the text, those flags were positioned at two
places: i) at the tapering spire and ii) at the vehicle's body. The use of the
words ‘flags’, could indicate that more than one flag was installed at its
spire. All body façades in between the pillars of the vehicle would also be
covered with silken flags and perhaps can be unfolded like curtains. This is
following the description that “…the whole of it hung with very rich silken
stuff”. However, there is no reference to what symbol and color were used on
the Melaka Sultanate flag available in the public domain.
By the description, the march in which
the vehicle participated was ceremonial. The royal bride and groom whom the
vehicle carries were celebrated and paraded through the city accompanied by
full royal customaries, which included the “…great blowing trumpets and
festivities”. The study views this occasion as a shared culture between the
Melaka ruler and the cosmopolitan societies of the Melaka Sultanate. This
apparently suggests that the royal possession involving the 30-wheeler vehicles
is not a one-off occasion but happened numerous times.
A medieval Muslim traveler, Ibn Battuta,
who visited Melaka in 1345 (Gibb, 2005), mentioned elephants were commonly used to
carry loads during the Melaka Sultanate era. He also described Melaka fortress
city (royal compound) at that time were constructed of hewn stone with a gate
wide enough for three elephants to walk through. This study sees that the use of elephants was
the reason why the gate of the Melaka Sultanate fortress was apparently wide.
The size of the gate limits the design of the ceremonial vehicle. On the other
hand, the Malay Annals (Ahmad, 2010) mentioned
that the royal compound has seven gates from the main entrance to the Sultan’s
palace, beside consistent with the use of elephants involving the royal parade.
4. Findings
from Visual Anthropological Analysis
Figure 1 depicts a royal parade on a 30-wheeler ceremonial vehicle during the Dutch period. Figure 1 is a redrawn from an engraved artwork originally inscribed ‘Carosese Royal de trente roues tire par douze Elephans’ (meaning “The Thirty-wheeler Royal Carriage pulled by twelve Elephants’) by Pierre van der Aa in the early 1700s (Moore, 2004). Obviously, this ceremonial vehicle is by far too huge in comparison to the one described by Alfonso. Based on the sketch, the 30 wheels were distributed in at least four rows. Its wheels are relatively comparable to the size of a hogshead.
Figure 2 A redrawn of
thirty-wheeler royal ceremonial vehicle during Dutch Melaka (the Early
1700s)(Source: Moore (2004), p23)
The tower on top of the main structure
does not match the expression of a tall tapering spire. There is no indication
of the fabrics covering the structure are flagged. It is almost impossible that
a vehicle this large can pass through a bridge. It is unclear why a Malay royal
ceremonial vehicle rooted in Melaka Sultanate tradition was not built in its
original form and dimensions during the Dutch Melaka period. This is especially
appearing in the depiction of the vehicle attempting to equal the Melaka
Sultanate royal vehicle in the context of its 30 wheels. However, it is
important to note that the above ceremonial vehicle and the one from Melaka
Sultanate are from different eras separated by nearly 200 hundred years.
Another aspect that this study can learn from the sketch is that such a vehicle
would justifiably be pulled by elephants.
Visualizing the route of the 30-wheeler ceremonial vehicles based on
Alfonso’s narrative is not something inconceivable, even though there is no
municipal plan for the city of Upeh in reference to the Sultanate era. The
above municipal plans (figure 3(a), (b), (c), and (d)) are brought into the
study to trace the route taken by the ceremonial vehicle through the city. In
general, the municipality of Melaka during the Sultanate era can be divided
into two parts: i) the royal compound and ii) the cosmopolitan city of
Upeh. The vehicle departed from the
royal compound and paraded throughout the city of Upeh before returning to the
palace. The city of Upeh, also known as
the cosmopolitan city or the emporium of the Melaka Sultanate, was segregated
into territorial settlements of traders based on local and foreign ethnic
groups led by designated Syahbandars or harbourmasters from each ethnicity.
Portuguese appears to have retained the main structural municipality traced
down to Melaka Sultanate tradition.
Figure 3 Mapping route of the vehicle at the three-cornered primary street of
Upeh
Figure 3(a) Portuguese Melaka
1568 (Source: Biblioteca Nacional, Rio de Janeiro)
Figure 3(b) Portuguese Melaka
(1613) (Source: “Planta da cidade e povoacoens de Malaca”, Declaram de Malacca,
1613, Bibliotheque Royale, Bruxelles)
Figure 3(c) Dutch Melaka, 1791 (Source: The Malaysia
Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, 1985)
Figure 3(a) illustrates the
redrawn municipal plan of Melaka created by an anonymous Portuguese
cartographer living in the city in 1568 (Loureiro,
2008). It is one of the closest
municipal plans to the Melaka Sultanate period. It contains a detailed
impression of Portuguese Melaka city that “…is unmatched by other known
depictions of the city” (Manguin, 1988). On the other hand, figure 3(b) declares information
on the main network of streets and territories of ethnic’s societies (Malay,
Chinese, Indian, and Java) preserved in their original names in the tradition
of the Melaka Sultanate. Both figures 3(a) and (b) combined provide crucial
contextual information in tracing basic municipalities in the rule of Melaka
Sultanate, especially the primary 3-cornered streets, which enlightened the
route taken by the ceremonial vehicle in this study.
According
to Alfonso, warehouses in Chinese and Indian merchant settlements were
unaffected since they cooperated with Portuguese administration during and
after the 1511 war. Although Malay was perceived as the enemy by the Portuguese
during the 1511 war, their parameter seems to remain in its original name
(Kampung Bendahara or Bendahara Village), as reflected in figure 3(b), where
the house of Bendahara can be seen in figure 3(a). So do Javanese merchants, in
whom the Portuguese still had an interest after capturing Melaka in 1511 (Birch, 2010), with designated
parameters likely remained as Java settlement. It is baseless to imagine that
Chinese, Indian, Java, and local settlements were switched during Portuguese
Melaka because each settlements contains properties based on ethnic and
cultural preferences. Therefore, streets and territorial parameters in the
trading city of Upeh had a direct tradition of the Melaka Sultanate period, as
we can approximate in the Portuguese Melaka municipal impression of 1658 as
reflected in figure 3(a).
Primary streets are
structural to the municipality of a city and cannot easily be restructured
because there are buildings on both sides. The drastic change of such primary
streets means demolishing buildings along them. Figure 3(c) (during Dutch’s
Melaka) and (d) (modern Malaysian Melaka) depicting the preservation of the
three-cornered streets is a testimony of the perspective. In conclusion, the
three-cornered streets already existed during the Melaka Sultanate in an approximation
of figure 3(a), (b), (c), and (d); which demonstrate the consistent pattern of
the three-cornered street of Upeh during Portuguese Melaka, Dutch Melaka period
and Malaysian Melaka at present.
5. Summary of the
Narrative and Visual Anthropological Analysis
However, apart from the separate narrative and visual anthropological analyses, the fusion of both provides clues that extend the idea of the ceremonial vehicle design. As displayed in Figure 4, these clues helped the vehicle design research, which had to overcome at least six challenges as the parades moved along the described route.
Figure 4 Challenges of the route that
provide clues on the design of the vehicle.
The Sultanate Melaka palace was located
at the top of Melaka Hill. The royal compound has broader boundaries, including
the foothill and surrounding area. Based on the 1511 war narrative, it is
unclear how close the vehicle was to the palace when it was parked, took off or
burned down. Therefore, the challenge as the vehicle took off from the royal
compound is dismissed. The total size of this vehicle (which includes its
ornamental constructs) was supposed to be conducive enough to pass through the
sultanate gate, which according to Ibn Battuta (Gibb,
2005), was big enough for three elephants to go through. Therefore, the
open width of the gate is estimated at 15 feet. The study also suggested that
the vehicle’s height should not exceed 15 feet as ancient royal Malay gates (in
Malay called ‘gerbang’) typically also have a top enclosure, commonly in the
form of an arch.
This study also suggests that the
vehicle's reconstruction be scaled appropriately; Alfonso's description of a
wooden house, of enormous proportions can be seen as a perceptive expression.
In reality, the vehicle has the space of a 'room' but the appearance of a
'house.' The ceremonial vehicle, however, is hefty despite being made of solid
hardwood of small size.
As
the vehicle passed through the Melaka River, it must escalate a tall Sultanate
bridge. In a separate study, the diagonal deck of the bridge is estimated at 15
degrees (Mustaffa & Othman, 2021). This
factor has implications for the distribution of the vehicle's 30- wheels, which
will be discussed later. The escalation and de-escalation of the vehicle on the
bridge requires a justifiable force of energy, especially given Alfonso’s
description that it was constructed using solid timber. This study also
suggests that such a crafted royal celebrative vehicle should be decorated with
wood curving motifs. This adds up to the overall weight of the vehicle. The
means to pull the ceremonial vehicle is also considered part of its
reconstruction in this study to be considered in the design process.
Based on Alfonso’s description, the
ceremonial vehicle would have journeyed quite a distance from the royal
compound, passing through the Sultanate primary gate, crossing the Sultanate
bridge, and moving along the primary streets. As the vehicle reached
Bendahara's house, as seen in figure 5(a), it turned right, passing through the
designated Malay trading zone before reaching the Chinese and Javanese trading
territories. Finally, the vehicle took the left turn back to the Sultanate
bridge and parked at the royal compound where it was last seen.
Taking the journey that long would have
been an enormous feat for this ancient vehicle, especially in passing up and
down a tall bridge and maneuvering at the sharp three-cornered primary streets
of Upeh. The design process should consider the vehicle's fundamental
structural and mechanical aspects. The main three-cornered streets of Upeh require the
vehicle to make multiple turns which is even quite challenging for a modern-day
vehicle.
5. Findings of the Design
Process
The design process took two months to digest, experiment, and assemble every component based on the description and analysis. The toughest part was the distribution of 30 wheels. It is easy to assume the distribution of the wheels were evenly in 5 rows (6 wheels in each row) or 3 rows (10 wheels in each row). However, the ceremonial vehicle had been traced to pass the Sultanate bridge, which was relatively high. The bridge was elevated to allow medium size water traffic to pass underneath it. Figure 5 portrays a 2D ‘simulation test’ on a design problem that governs the design thinking concerning the distribution of 30 wheels in the context of a transitional point on the Sultanate bridge.
Figure 5 Test of the vehicle at the
transition point between the diagonal and horizontal bridge’s deck at 15 °
The degree of the bridge’s diagonal deck
in other studies was suggested at 15 degrees (Mustaffa
& Othman, 2021). This creates an intricate design problem for the
vehicle to pass through at the transition point between the diagonal and
horizontal deck. Based on the ‘simulation test,’ wheeled vehicle with more than
two rows has a significant problem passing this part of the bridge. In that
context, the vehicle must be lifted, followed by the crashing of the frontal
part as it crosses the transition point at the horizontal deck. It is important
to note that this vehicle was designed to carry royal figures on ceremonial
occasions. In the practice of royal tradition, such severe architectural
defects are unlikely to be accepted. After careful consideration, this study
cannot but suggest that the arrangement of the vehicle’s wheels should only
consist of two rows with 15 wheels on each row.
Built on solid timber and to satisfy its descriptions, this ceremonial vehicle is relatively heavy. The Sultanate bridge, where the ceremonial vehicle passed through, possesses an unavoidable design problem but, in a way, provided insight into its capability of it. The vehicle must utilize considerable force to climb the bridge, and the Dutch Melaka precedent provide the clue on the use of elephants to solve this problem.
Figure 6 Alternative force used as
breaking mechanism to slow down the vehicle at the bridge’s slope
To de-escalate on the other side of the bridge, the ceremonial vehicle also must use tremendous force as a breaking mechanism to slow down. Not only the Sultanate bridge contributes to the understanding of this vehicle. The analysis of this vehicle also contributes to the understanding of the bridge. To the least, we can learn that the Sultanate bridge is not just a pedestrian bridge.
Figure 7 The proposed basic wheel
mechanism and overall 15 wheels in a row
Figure 7(a) demonstrates the proposed
basic single-wheel mechanism. Concerning Alfonso's phrase 'hogshead' (and in
cross-referencing to the 15th century generic western's standard), a single
wheel has a diameter of 30 inches. The structure of the wheel is held by 8 (1”
x 1”) spokes mounted deep into a 9” diameter boxing hup (3” tick). Figure 7(a)
shows a 3” diameter axle bar ready to be inserted through the 15 wheels and 14
interval vertical bars. These vertical bars are mounted deep into the
structural beam of the vehicle. Metal washers are proposed between all vertical
bars and boxing hup of each wheel to resist friction. In this study, wooden
nuts are recommended as a locking mechanism to hold strong wooden axle bars,
thereby stabilizing their relationship with the wheels and vertical bar. Figure
7(b) demonstrates a single polar of the wheel, while figure 7(c) depicts the
collective looks of all 15 wheels’ mechanisms when fixed.
Figure 8 Basic mechanical interpretation
for the vehicle to make a 45-degree maneuver
Making the case of the ceremonial vehicle’s mechanical
in reflection of its extreme maneuvering capability (at the
sharp three-cornered streets) is difficult. First, there is no precedent of
animal cart that belongs to the ancient Malay world, which has 2 rows of
wheels. This is not to mention the fact that precedent on 30-wheeler vehicles
seems unobtainable other than royal Malay of the Dutch Melaka period, which
does not make sense to perform a similar task to that of the Sultanate Melaka
era. Bullock cart in the tradition of Melaka or Malay world at large (which
survive until now) has only two wheels and arranged in one row, which makes it
easy to maneuver.
As such, the study moves forward in
experimenting with basic mechanical concepts relatively feasible for the
ancient native of Melaka. Figure 8(a) demonstrates the joiners’ work that
connects three central beams with the frontal beam in supporting its main
structure; at the same time, establishes its relationship with the beam that
holds the 15 wheels. A strong metal bar is ready to be plugged into a hole of
the frontal beam and penetrates deep into a second frontal beam which also acts
as an axle that enables the entire frontal wheels to make a turn. In between,
there is a metal plate to separate the two frontal beams to resist friction
when the ceremonial vehicle makes its turn. Figure 8(b) illustrates all of the
beams when joined, whereas figure 8(c) depicts the vehicle's structural
mechanism when making a 45-degree turn. According to the study, only the front
wheel can turn, while the back wheels always align with the vehicle's body.
Another significant part of
reconstruction is the form of the ceremonial vehicle, which contributes to the
overall appearance. The study decided that it makes more sense to revert to the
essence of the precedent out of all sketches done on the main form of the
vehicle. Regardless of the differences reflected by the ceremonial vehicle
during the Dutch Melaka period, this study is from the perspective of seeing it
as being the tradition of the Melaka Sultanate. Both constructs can be seen as
‘30 wheeler ceremonial vehicle’. As such, the study took the strongest design
essence from the vehicle of the Dutch Melaka period as a reflection of that of
the Melaka Sultanate. This refers to the curve arches which connect between
pillars as reflected in figure 9
(a) and (b). To curve a wooden structure may seem quite challenging for
the ancient builder. Nonetheless, considering the Malay maritime civilization's
history of boat construction and shipbuilding, such a challenge is nothing
extraordinary.
Figure 9 The main form of the ceremonial
vehicle based on the precedent
To reconstruct the form, the study needs
to determine the floor dimension of the vehicle. Alfonso only mentions its
width, but the length of it is still unspecified. If the length of the vehicle
is more than its width, Alfonso would likely have provided the measurements
since he generously tried to furnish the details. The fact that he only
provided the estimated measurements of the vehicle’s width and did not border
with its length could be because it is the same anyway. However, the study
continued by putting the vehicle to the test through the Sultanate bridge,
which it has been traced to have crossed through. Based on the test, if the
length of the vehicle is too long, it will affect the distance arrangement of
the frontal and back wheels, and that could cause the middle part underneath
the vehicle stuck at the transition point between the diagonal and horizontal
deck, as demonstrated in figure 5(c). To avoid this problem and in the spirit
of Alfonso’s way of describing, the study suggested that the width and length
of the vehicle are the same at 7.5 feet. In other words, the basic floor of
this vehicle’s structure is square.
Figure 10 Reconstruction of the ceremonial
vehicle
Besides
taking off from the declared precedence, the study also adheres to the idea
that the construct was a royal ceremonial vehicle. A special construction
requires a special material. There was a special crafted timber mentioned in
Malay Annals in the form of ‘belalang bersagi’ (Ahmad,
2010), about the form of grasshopper interpreted as octagonal solid logs
as seen in figure 10(a). With these solid octagonal logs as columns, the main
structure of the ceremonial vehicle will take the form of an octagonal prism,
reflected in figure 10(b). Curve timber arches continue from these columns and,
at the same time, influence the form of its roofing, as can be seen in figure
10(c). Wooden planks were shaped and filled up the structural frame, and
completed the form of a dome as reflected in figure 10(e).
Wherever appropriate, the body of the vehicle was given the traditional Melaka wood curving motifs, as seen in figure 11(a). The study also suggested that the frontal façade of the vehicle is covered. Otherwise, the royal figure will face the back of the driver and worst, the back of the elephant, which is quite tall (See figure 11(a)). The frontal and rear façade of the vehicle also had an enclosure wall to provide backrest for 2 seats and cushion fittings for the royal couple to lean on, as reflected in figure 11(a) and (b). The structure, which takes the form of an octagonal prism, not only influences the 8-sided façade of the roofing but also the tapering spire, as reflected in figure 11(c) and (d). The tapering spire is furnished with three silken flags, as indicated by the plural usage of the term "flags" in Alfonso's description. Figure 11 illustrates how a thin silken cloth can help Melaka Sultanate banners fly gloriously when the wind blows (d). These silken fabric flags are also employed to furnish an open structural façade of the ceremonial vehicle, which may be opened like curtains, as shown in figure 11(e).
Figure 11 The integration of wood curving motif and features on the ceremonial vehicle
6. Discussion
This study uncovered an extinct
Melaka Sultanate native innovation. The fact that there seems to be no
precedent for 30-wheeler vehicles in another part of the world indicates that
it was a local idea. A Portuguese
general seems impressed with the artistry
of the ceremonial vehicle and provides his account in a way that
glorifies it. The fact that the vehicle was burned at the royal compound but
earlier paraded across the city enables the researchers to conclude that it had
passed through the tall Sultanate bridge and other obstacles, providing more clues about its design. The narrative
analysis benefits the study of the nature, componential and dimensional aspects
of the ceremonial vehicle. In contrast, the visual anthropological analysis
provides precedence and puts the context of its journey centered on obstacles
which have implications for its design. Although described at length, there is
no way the study can make up the reconstruction only based on the text and
narrative analysis. The most challenging part was to arrange the distribution
of its 30 wheels without suitable precedence. Only the builders know why they
built a vehicle with 30 wheels. One thing is sure: it was designed to tackle a
specific problem.
The overall form of the vehicle is taken from the essence of precedent on similar Malay royal vehicles of the Dutch Melaka period but redesigned suitable to its relatively small scale. Structurally, its form is derived from special crafted timber logs mentioned in Malay Annals in the form of ‘belalang bersagi’; which makes up the overall octagonal prism. The wood curving motif was taken from Melaka tradition to satisfy the context of the description “…all inlaid with gold”. The historical description demonstrates that the royal parade involving the ceremonial vehicle was a shared cultural celebration that brought the royal family closer to various levels of society on the streets of Melaka. As such, it is more fitting that the parade optimized the reach of its societies. Based on the description, it is most appropriate that the parade occurred along the primary three-cornered street of Upeh. Consequently, this study also demonstrated that the ceremonial vehicle has an effective maneuvering capability and proposed a basic mechanism to enable it to perform its tasks. This study learned that Melaka Sultanate’s flag has more than one color from the 1511 war narrative (Birch, 2010), but this study still requires factual data or reference on the type of symbolism and its colors. Figure 12 below reflects the final 3D interpretative impression of the 30 wheeler ceremonial vehicle based on the idealism of the studies.
Figure 12 Final impression of the
30-wheeler ceremonial vehicle based on the idealism of the study
From the discussions above, we suggest
that this ceremonial vehicle has a high level of architectural craftsmanship
and a majestic look of a house despite its size in comparable space to a room
which reflects a magnificent feat of the Melaka Sultanate. This could be
inferred by the admiration and lengthy description furnished by Alfonso
himself. It is interesting to enquire about the aspects of the design thinking
behind the use of 30 wheels on a single vehicle. It may appear that the ancient
innovator of this vehicle struggled to find a better solution to increase the
collective strength of its wheels due to the rough textural surface of ancient
streets. This study can only suggest their basis and practical distribution
based on the obstacle it faced in passing a tall bridge. Due to its
sophistication, we conclude that this vehicle was not an ad-hoc apparatus,
instead was rooted in a symbolically shared cultural tradition between the
royal and the people of Melaka. It is also a tradition of kings in the past to
show off their might and technological feat. As Melaka is an international
marketplace, the Sultanate kingdom would find that it is critical to express
its magnificence. The paraded royal couple on this ceremonial vehicle was said
to have been accompanied “…with great blowing trumpets and festivities” likely
had occurred many times in the past. This would potentially bring the royal
family closer to various levels of society on the streets of Melaka. A Malay
proverb goes, “raja dan rakyat berpisah tiada,” meaning “the king will never be
separated from his subjects.”
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